


Can’t wash away the mud

by LittleLuxxie



Series: A song of Conquest and Fate [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:53:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29107374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLuxxie/pseuds/LittleLuxxie
Summary: Two times the inhabitants of the Northern Fortress lose the young princess and her friend.One time it is harmless, even though it gives Camilla a serious fright.One time Xander barely arrives in time to deter a tragedy.
Series: A song of Conquest and Fate [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1040621
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another fic that has been laying around basically finished for years, it just needed some minimal work and editing. If I wait to publish, this series will forever be unfinished. Because I will never be entirely happy with my work. But I am satisfied enough with how it is now and I hope at least someone will enjoy it.

Xander was 12 years old the first time Yumi disappeared from the Northern Fortress. It was an unusually bright and clear winter day, the snow laid thick over the courtyard and the park. The other four siblings had arrived the day before and were to stay for a few days, a rare treat for Yumi. After breakfast, Gunther suggested that the little ones should play outside and enjoy this beautiful weather. Xander and Camilla had studies to attend to and couldn’t join them. Leo and Yumi broke out in protests as one.

“But Gunther,” whined Yumi, “it’s cold outside.”

“I want to stay in the library,” said Leo, who had learned to read a few weeks earlier and was nearly inseparable from his books since.

But Gunther was heartless and insisted they get some fresh air.

So, half an hour later Cassita muffled up a bouncing Elise in so many clothes it was hard to see it was supposed to be a child underneath. Camilla forced a hat onto a glaring Leo, and Gunther tied a scarf around Yumi’s neck. Silas, who was almost always at the Fortress with Yumi, pulled on his sweater and boots without complaints.

Gunther ushered Yumi, Silas, and Leo out the door. Cassita put on her own jacket, picked up Elise, and followed them.

Xander and Camilla exchanged a look and chuckled as they could still hear Yumi’s muttering.

The two of them spent the morning in the library by the fireplace, thinking that if they hurried, they may have time to go outside themselves later that afternoon.

Several hours later a servant came into the room and told them that lunch was served in the dining room. But when they got there, neither of their siblings were there. Halfway through the meal, Gunther entered the room.

“Lord Xander, Lady Camilla, has any of you seen Lady Yumi, Lord Leo, and Silas?” he asked them.

“No, not since this morning,” said Xander, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Why are you asking?” said Camilla in a high-pitched voice, “Have something happened to them?”

“Cassita went inside a couple of hours ago with Lady Elise for her nap, but the other three stayed outside. I called them inside for lunch, but they failed to respond. I took a quick lap but couldn’t see them.”

“What?” Camilla’s voice broke, “Have you lost them? Why was they left alone? Anything could’ve happened!”

“Calm yourself, Camilla,” said Xander, putting a hand over hers, “You know Yumi and Leo, they probably snuck inside as soon as Cassita left with Elise.”

“We have to find them,” said Camilla.

“Of course,” said Xander, “my first guess would’ve been the library, but we have been in there all morning.”

“I have checked both Lady Yumi’s and Lord Leo’s bedroom, along with the nursery,” said Gunther, “Cassita and a few others are searching through the other rooms upstairs. I will go back outside.”

“We’ll help, too,” said Camilla and got to her feet.

Together she and Xander searched the rooms on the ground floor, Camilla with increasing anxiety.

“Camilla, they are here somewhere,” said Xander after the 10th empty room, “they can’t get out of the Fortress grounds. You need to breathe.”

They met a servant in the hallway that had also searched the ground floor and hadn’t found anything. After checking with the others upstairs, they decided to go outside.

Faintly they heard Gunther call for Yumi and Leo inside the stables. The dark was falling over the courtyard, and Xander spent most of his energy to keep Camilla calm as they called for their siblings. Though as time went on and they didn’t find them, even he started to get worried. Could they have gotten outside of the Fortress walls? The gate had been closed, but could they have found a way?

They walked along the battlements surrounding the Fortress, its courtyard, and the park when Xander noticed an oddly shaped pile of snow behind one of the repositories. Camilla walked a few yards away from him, calling their names. Xander walked slowly over to the snowdrift, it looked very solid and as he got closer, he noticed a hole, just a slit about a foot of the ground. Something moved behind it, and by the repository’s wall, a bigger hole led into the pile.

“Yumi?” he said loudly, “Leo? Silas?”

A faint snickering drifted out to him, and a hushing sound.

Xander crossed his arms and said, “Get out of there at once.”

His loud voice had made Camilla turn around and she hurried over.

“Have you found them?” she said, and Xander nodded to the pile of snow. It took Camilla a moment, then she understood what she saw.

“Leo? Yumi? Are you in there?” she said in a much gentler voice than him.

“Of course they’re in there,” snapped Xander, “And you better come out fast.”

Three giggling children crawled out from the tunnel, Camilla caught them in a big hug as soon as they got out. But when Yumi looked up at Xander her smile faded, and she nudged Leo who also grew serious.

“You made us all very worried,” Xander said, “Everyone in the household has been putting off their work to search for you. I am disappointed in your behavior. It is not befitting for a prince and a princess.”

Both Yumi and Leo shrunk in place, shuffling, and glancing at each other. Silas looked like he was about to cry in the background, even if Xander wasn’t directing the critique to him.

“Sorry…” they both mumbled.

“Please forgive us, Lord Xander,” said Silas, bowing.

Xander let out a heavy sigh, “Just see to it you never do it again.”

“I promise,” Yumi said, trying for a pleading smile. Leo glared at him from under his bangs and Xander was fairly certain he stuck his tongue out to him as soon as he turned his back.


	2. Chapter 2

Xander was 14 years old the second time Yumi disappeared from the Northern Fortress, and this time it wasn’t as harmless as a snow hut.

When he rode into the courtyard late in the afternoon Xander got the distinct feeling something was wrong. A lot of people moved around, which in itself wasn’t strange but it was something hectic in the air that made him wonder. He got off his horse, handed the reins to a stable boy and unfastened his bags. And now he really began to wonder, there was no Yumi out to greet him. Usually, she had come running out on the courtyard by now.

“Has something happened?” he asked the stable boy, “Everybody seems so stressed.”

“I believe they are looking for Lady Yumi, Lord Xander. Jakob was here a moment ago asking for her.”

Xander sighed, what had she come up with now? Lucky Camilla wasn’t with him this time.

In the hallway he met Felicia, a young maid from the Ice Tribe, she jumped when he stepped inside and nearly dropped the bowl she had in hand.

“Lord Xander!” she exclaimed, then turned on her heel and ran down the corridor. Xander stared after her, that was strange behavior even for Felicia.

A door opened further down the corridor and Gunther came out to meet him.

“Lord Xander,” he said with a bow.

“Gunther,” said Xander, handing his coat to Jakob who had appeared beside him, “what is the matter?”

Gunther swallowed, “It’s Lady Yumi, my Lord, nobody has seen her or Silas since shortly after breakfast when they went upstairs to play. They didn’t arrive for lunch, and we have looked for hours and cannot find them.”

Xander’s eyebrows furrowed and he sighed, “Like the snow hut?”

“We have searched the park and outhouses thoroughly, and every inch of the Fortress.”

“The attic? Cupboards?”

“All looked through, my Lord.”

“Apparently not well enough,” said Xander with a knot in his throat, “They are here somewhere, or are you suggesting they might have left the Fortress entirely?”

Gunther shook his head, “No, they can’t have.”

“We better go through it all again then.”

“At once,” said Gunther with a bow.

Xander started on the ground floor and worked his way up, walking from room to room calling Yumi’s name, checking every nook and cranny he could think of. On the third floor, he began to be seriously worried, had something happened to them? Or could… gods forbid, someone found out who she was and taken her? Painful flashes to Azura rushed Xander on, searching every room with more and more ferocity. The weight in his stomach grew for every empty room.

On the fifth floor, just getting ready to climb up to the attic, Xander glanced out a window and saw something down by the Fortress gate. A figure with Yumi’s vivid hair walked in through the gates but was moving in a strange way. A glint of silver hair told him Silas was giving her a piggyback ride. He let out a loud breath and hurried down the stairs.

When he opened the door, he heard a blood-curdling scream and had no trouble recognizing the voice. His throat constricted as he ran in the direction of the sound. By the gate, he saw two guards had intercepted the pair. One was holding a thrashing Yumi and the other pushed Silas down onto his knees.

“… stop it! Don’t hurt him!”

Yumi’s high-pitched carried easily across the entire courtyard. Xander saw the other guard unsheathing his sword. Silas didn’t move a muscle, just stared at his hands.

“No! No! Stop!”

“What is going on here?” called Xander as he ran towards them.

The guards looked up, and the one holding Yumi must’ve loosened his grip because she wrenched out of his hands and fell to her knees beside Silas. She flew her arms around him to shield him with her small frame and called desperately to Xander.

“Xander! Xander! Help!” Tears flooded down her cheeks, “Stop them, they want to kill him, stop-…” the last word was lost to a sob.

“Are you insane?” said Xander angrily as he stopped in front of the guards.

“Lord Xander,” said the one holding his sword, and exchanged an uncomfortable look with the other guard. “He kidnapped the princess, and he took her outside the walls.”

“I told you,” cried Yumi, “He didn’t! I walk- walked by myself. I’m the one you should-…”

“Yumi, be quiet,” said Xander loudly.

“But Xander…”

“Take Silas with you and go inside,” said Xander between clenched teeth, “Now!”

He saw Silas look up at him in wonder, then Yumi grabbed his hand and frantically pulled him to his feet.

“Come on, come on,” she said, and with a steady grip on his, she started running away.

“But, my Lord, the King-…” began one of the guards.

“Will never know about this,” said Xander. He pulled himself up into his full length, grateful for the inches he had grown over the last year. and fixed them with an intense glare. “Silas is a child, and he’s the heir of the Blackwoods family. We cannot afford to lose their loyalty.”

“But Lord Xander-…”

“I will hear no more of it,” he held up a hand to stop the protests, “You will never speak of this again, and I will not execute you for letting the princess outside the walls.” They shrunk where they stood, “Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, Lord Xander!”

“Dismissed.”

They saluted him and returned to their posts by the front gate. Xander’s heart threatened to race out of his chest. It had been a long time since he received such a fright. It itched in his hands to do something to punish the guards for their carelessness. But this event could not be permitted to ever reach the ears of Iago or Father, that was more important than anything. He would discuss with Gunther later if something could be done. For now, though, he had to deal with Yumi and Silas.

Forbidding Silas from ever coming back to the Northern Fortress, to Yumi’s panicked desperation, was not something he took any enjoyment in. But he had no choice. Times such as these he felt much older than he was, burdened under the responsibility to his siblings. Their lives were more important than anything, so with a heavy heart, he closed his ears to Yumi’s screams and his eyes to Silas’s quiet tears. Several maids had to wrench the children apart, as they desperately tried to stop it from happening. Without looking back, Xander escorted Silas to the stables with a firm grip on his small shoulder.

“I just wanted to show her the meadow,” Silas said under his breath, once seated on the horse in front of Xander, “She always talks about the things outside she wants to see.”

“I know,” Xander swallowed, “I know you meant well, but you put both your and her life in danger, and nothing excuses that.”

“I’m sorry,” his voice broke from a sob, “I’m so sorry.”

They rode in silence through the looming forest towards Blackwoods manor. Only Silas’s quiet sniffles were heard over the horse’s hooves. Xander hadn’t dared trust anyone else with the task of bringing Silas home. If something happened to Silas, it would haunt him forever. They had all been so thankful that he could stay at the Northern Fortress so often to keep Yumi company. It had made it marginally easier for the siblings to leave her. Now that comfort would be gone. He just hoped Yumi would eventually forgive him for taking her only friend away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I made up a family name for Silas. I hope it isn't too jarring, but I really felt like it was needed. He is supposed to be the son of a noble family, but there is no information about any noble houses of Nohr so I improvised.


End file.
